The dumped hubby of former EastEnders star Hannah Waterman has blamed their break-up on her SLIMMING.

Ricky Groves, 41, who watched Hannah lose three stones, told a pal: "Once she slimmed down she didn't want to know me any more.

"I wanted a family with her and thought we were married for life. Now I just feel foolish I didn't see things coming."

Ricky, who played EastEnders mechanic Gary Hobbs until last year and married Hannah, 34, in 2006, also blamed their punishing work schedules for helping drive them apart.

The actor who starred in the last BBC1 Strictly Come Dancing series and is due to go on tour with the show this Friday added: "We have been spending increasing amounts of time away from each other which hasn't helped of course.

"But once Hannah lost weight everything changed. It was like she wanted to completely reinvent herself."

Hannah was last week seen walking hand-in-hand with actor Simon Bowman, 48, though they denied any romance.